Nipomo residents attack arsonist

February 14, 2014

A 35-year-old man accused of arson and vandalism was injured when a person attempted to stop him from vandalizing homes in Nipomo by hitting him with a 2×4 piece of wood.

Jacob Bernerd, 35, of Nipomo suffered a skull fracture and was transported to a local hospital. San Luis Obispo Sheriff deputies are searching for the person who assaulted Bernerd.

Shortly after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies were called to assist Cal Fire with a house fire at 1325 La Quinta Drive. At around the same time, residents in the area were reporting a man on a bicycle who was threatening neighbors while smashing car and residential windows.

A group of residents then began fighting with Bernerd. When officers arrived to the area of 1350 La Loma Drive, Bernerd was already suffering from a head injury.

Bernerd is facing charges of arson and vandalism. The sheriff’s department is asking anyone with information on the assault of Bernerd is to call (805) 781-4550.

47 Comments

Sounds like the neighbors are protecting the person who knocked out the guy who was burning down and busting up their houses and property. Good for the neighbors. If that occurred where I live, I wouldn’t tell who knocked the guy out either. Not that I think the guy who took the perp down was wrong, but the less problems he has with LE budding their noses in after the fact, the better. If LE had shown up, they probably would have shot the perp so he should consider himself lucky that the neighbors got to him first.

Sounds like this guy was the neighborhood nut and his neighbors had enough of his antics.
I’m not saying they should have cracked his skull, but I understand..
We have allowed ourselves to be brainwashed into thinking we should leave public safety to the police. However, government has no affirmative duty to protect its citizens, unless a special relationship exists whereby the government either creates a dangerous situation for its citizen or acknowledges that one exists but does nothing to mitigate it.
This concept has been affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in several case decisions and is codified under California law by Government Code 820-823.
The bottom line is this: While we can not condone excessive force we bear the responsibility for protecting ourselves, our families and our neighbors, not the police.

Little late to the posting. This reminds me of how the Night Stalker Richard Rameriz was captured in ’85. It was a group that recognized him and wacked him with a medal pipe, subduing him till police arrived. Like I always say, go ask the victims how they felt. I bet in this Nipomo case probably the same as ’85. I STAND by victims NOT criminals.

P.S. to last I see some here complaining about individuals or cops that can be heavy handed on criminals. Here’s a thought, why not do like I and most of society, not commit crime and then you don’t have to worry about either of the above mentioned groups.

Stone: Ok I’ll take the bait, and respond to your inquiry below:
1): Yes, I WOULD condone any 2×4 wooden weapon actions to stop someone from arson or flying glass rioting against a private home. That would include, since you asked, any action against any violator including myself or family, should we ever start smashing windows or lighting fires.

Intervention in a violent crime IS warranted, as apparently happened here. Be appreciative that the law abiding crowd just clubbed the sucker instead of overdoing it or killing him. As another poster indicated, swift disabling of a crazed individual is a wise tactic.

2): This blog is not about me (ad hominem) but I’ll briefly respond: I’m not nearly as passive aggressive nor manipulative as you credit me. Despite your conjecture, I have no misconceptions that I can name-call local officials and hope they’ll change. The recalcitrant and selective hit-or-miss LE supervisors have proven that they will NOT RESPOND to reason, evidence, printed law or petition if a case or law breaking doesn’t interest them. Believe me, in certain select county-wide matters, I have done my best. I’ve tried and been ignored.

3): In general about your comments: Get off your horse about vigilante mentality. That implies planning, intent, premeditation which did not happen here. What this article is about is a case of public heroic intervention, and what the blog comments here are mostly about is support for just such unplanned, heroic, public intervention at their own risk during a moment of dangerous criminal outburst.

You reason intelligently, Stone, you just are always on the bleeding heart hand-wringing liberal side of things. I’m surprised you didn’t compare the 2×4 with 1960’s axe handles from the South. Come over to the Dark Side with me, Stone. Conservatism, self-reliance, limited government, justice and the middle right can be such a place of achievement, valor, and public benefit. There IS hope for you.

Here’s a well known fact: People who think their civilized have actually been brain washed into standing down or protecting themselves in fear of government ( police) retaliation. You can live on your feet of die on your knees. Pretty clear what your demise will be.

Sorry Sarah but letting the “justice” system take charge after the fact is one thing (assuming that they are competent), but stopping a maniac still in the act of creating havoc is another.

Nipomo is a big area and the address in question is not far from the S. edge overlooking the Santa Maria Valley. Depending upon where the nearest Sherrif’s Deputies were at the time, it could have taken up to 20 min for them to arrive — assuming that they were not already tied up on another call. I don’t blame the folks involved one bit in doing what they had to do to stop this maniac. Even if he had some sort of serious mental disorder, my sympathy for him would be overwhelmed by the unfortunate necessity of others to defend themselves and their property.

I hope the cops don’t look too hard for the person who leveled this nutcase and that he (she?) is smart and lucky enough to remain unknown to them.

So Sarah, what you are saying is, If someone is raping your or your mother or your daughter or a pedophile is raping a young child and a group of people are there they should walk away and call the police and hope the victim is okay. YOu might want to look at the etymology of the word vigilante.

That’s quite a sick fantasy you’ve got there, Tacoma, but I’ll take it as the product of a disjointed mind rather than a personal threat. The difference between your fantasy and the crime committed in Nipomo is self defense. I’ve got a right to stop a violent attack against my family and myself. (Who did you want raped, again?) The individual who beat Bernerd didn’t stick around to clarify his actions, which I take as an admission that they weren’t strictly defensive. He assaulted a bad guy not because he had to defend himself and his property, but because he could get away with it.

You can go back to the twelfth century if you like, but your kind doesn’t belong in civil society.

I’ve got a comment towards the obvious vigilante mentality being shown in most of your posts:

Why is it you call out the police for doing things beyond their scope of duty, violating laws, statutes and infringing on peoples rights, and all the while calling out to others without a badge to do the same exact thing? How is that justified? How is that the rational, well informed, educated or human response to following or enforcing the law? How?

Get a grip people! Get off your high horses for a minute and consider the law, the one meant to protect all of us! Consider that law, try and enforce it in your own life first, apply it to everyone EQUALLY and then maybe it will be less likely to be taken advantage of by anyone.

Seems they considered the law, then did something to protect themselves from this out-of-control arsonist! They enforced the law to protect themselves from fire, death, larger tragedy with the means available.

Good thing we’re not in Florida or he would likely been a dead arsonist. While calling the police is the right thing to do, time was of the essence or others could have been “dead-right and all burned up” by waited.

Like a spreading wild-fire, you have to stop it right there on the spot, hoping the Fire engines shows up to stop the flames from spreading.

So JR., from what I understand there are no more than three Sheriffs to cover all of South County. Those folks down in Nipomo probably know this and were not holding their collective breaths and waiting patiently for the good guys with the sirens to show up while this wild man wrought havoc in their hood. Had you been there with your large muscles and your warm heart you could have just tackled this misfortunate soul and saved him from these heathens, so none of this would have had to happen. Wouldn’t it be nice if you, Superman, could just be everywhere to solve all of our problems. But since you weren’t, someone just had to improvise without your guidance. Hind sight is always the best. Next time try to show up on time when there is a lunatic to be tackled and you won’t have to lecture others on how things should have been done.